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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
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https://archive.org/details/japansattitudetoOOunse 


JAPAN’S  ATTITUDE  TO 
CHRISTIANITY 


The  question  is  being  asked  by  students 
of  Missions  and  all  lovers  of  the  great 
Cause — “What  is  the  attitude  of  the  Gov- 
ernment as  well  as  the  people  of  Japan 
toward  Christianity?”  This  question  is  one 
of  more  than  ordinary  interest  to  the  mis- 
sionary since  it  affects  not  only  the  country 
of  Japan,  but  also  has  to  do  with  the  whole 
problem  of  the  Christianization  of  Korea, 
and  to  a marked  degree  the  work  in  China 
and  Manchuria.  In  the  Japan  Advertiser, 
published  in  Tokyo,  under  date  of  January 
19th,  1912,  appeared  the  following  article: 

“The  Japanese  authorities  have  for  many 
years  been  erecting  barricades  against  Oc- 
cidental thought  and  devoting  their  efforts 
towards  instilling  in  the  people  feelings  of 
loyalty  and  patriotism.  Lately,  however, 
they  appear  to  have  begun  to  give  thought 
to  the  religious  side  of  popular  education, 
and  the  Home  Department  Authorities,  ac- 
cording to  the  vernacular  press,  have  now 
announced  their  intention  of  arranging  a 
general  meeting  of  representatives  of  the 
three  leading  religions  in  Japan,  viz., 
Shintoism,  Buddhism  and  Christianity  with 
a view  to  furthering  its  ideas. 

“Mr.  Tokonami,  the  Vice-Minister,  repre- 
senting the  Department,  has  made  a state- 
ment to  the  effect  that  their  primary  aim  is 
to  bring  religion  into  closer  relations  with 
the  State  and  so  to  raise  a God  fearing 
sentiment  among  the  people.  The  cult  of 
national  morality,  he  explains,  cannot  be 
advanced  except  by  the  co-operative  work- 
ing of  education  and  religion.  Thus  far 
education  has  had  no  relation  with  religion. 
Education  by  itself  cannot  keep  the  people 
in  touch  with  sacred  things — God,  Buddha 
and  Heaven — ^which  inspire  sublime  and 
righteous  thoughts  in  man.  Without  such 

1 


aid  there  can  be  no  firm  basis  for  national 
morality.  Therefore,  it  is  a necessity  to 
have  religion  more  closely  united  with  the 
State. 

The  Position  of  Christianity 

“The  second  aim  of  the  Department,  says 
the  Vice-Minister,  is  to  make  the  three  re- 
li^ons  more  familiar  and  let  them  con- 
tribute their  influence  to  the  general 
progress  of  society.  Japan  has  for  long 
had  intercourse  with  the  foreign  Powers 
and  proved  herself  capable  of  assimilating 
their  worldly  thoughts  and  ideals.  Con- 
siderable progress  has  been  made  with  the 
two  present  religions  and  Japan  ought  to 
make  greater  headway  with  Christianity 
which  has  already  been  established  in  the 
land  many  years. 

“It  could  be  well,  the  Vice-Minister  is 
reported  to  have  said,  if  Christianity  could 
be  propagated  more  widely.  It  is  necessary 
for  its  upholders  to  end  the  seclusion  with 
which  they  seem  still  to  persist  in  surround- 
ing themselves.  Some  one,  the  Vice-Min- 
ister continues,  would  object  that  the  three 
religions  in  drawing  together  would  lose 
their  characteristics.  But,  he  argued,  Chris- 
tianity whether  in  Europe  or  in  America  is 
Christianity  all  the  same,  though  in 
America  it  becomes  an  American  Chris- 
tianity, in  England  it  becomes  an  English 
Christianity  and  in  Germany  a German 
Christianity.  Though,  therefore.  Buddhism 
should  go  abroad  and  Christianity  be 
naturalized  in  Japan,  there  would  be  no 
need  to  fear  lest  either  should  lose  its 
characteristics.  It  was  earnestly  to  be 
wished,  the  Vice-Minister  is  reported  as  say- 
ing, that  the  thoughts  and  faiths  of  Japan 
and  of  Europe  should  be  in  such  a manner 
blended.” 

In  numerous  subsequent  issues,  and  also 
in  the  Japan  Mail  of  the  latter  part  of 

2 


January,  were  many  articles  bearing  on 
this  same  subject.  A missionary  of  more 
than  twenty  years’  standing  writes  regard- 
ing this  whole  matter: 

“This  new  attitude  of  the  Government 
is  most  important.  It  is  a complete  somer- 
sault from  the  position  of  the  Government 
toward  religion  in  the  last  two  decades. 
Hitherto  it  has  said  religion  was  unneces- 
sary, and  education  apart  from  religion  was 
sufficient  for  the  Japanese,  but  this  recent 
promulgation  is  really  an  acknowledgment 
that  it  has  been  wrong  and  it  now  asserts 
that  the  two  must  go  together.  All  the  rest 
about  amalgamation  of  Buddhism,  Shinto 
and  Christianity  we  do  not  need  to  pay  any 
attention  to,  and  in  any  affiliations  that 
may  be  made,  there  will  be  no  attempt  to 
combine  in  doctrine,  but  in  works;  and  in 
such  combinations  Christianity  will  always 
be  the  gainer.  This  really  means  that 
Christianity  has  won  its  way  to  the  top, 
and  that  is  to  sway  the  affairs  of  the  na- 
tion, while  Buddhism  and  Shinto  gradually 
retire  and  fade  away  into  nothingness.  It 
can’t  be  done  in  a day,  but  watch  the  next 
ten  years.” 

Another  method  of  testing  the  attitude 
of  the  Japanese  people  is  found  in  what 
took  place  at  Osaka  on  January  15th,  1912. 
A great  fire  destroyed  more  than  5,000 
houses  in  Osaka  and  rendered  some  20,000 
people  homeless.  The  matter  of  relief  was 
an  immediate  necessity.  Some  three  years 
ago  another  great  fire  occurred,  and  in 
administering  relief  considerable  financial 
irregularity  was  discovered  among  those 
who  conducted  it.  At  that  same  fire,  the 
Christians  of  the  city  acting  through  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  assisted  in  relieving  certain 
districts.  The  work  was  done  so  carefully 
and  wisely  that  this  time  when  the  Chris- 
tians offered  to  help,  the  officials  jumped  at 
the  chance  and  placed  the  matter  of  investi- 

3 


gation  entirely  in  their  hands.  Several 
tens  of  thousands  of  yen  "were  left  over 
from  the  relief  money  of  three  years  ago 
and  it  only  remained  to  discover  who  was 
needy  and  render  the  assistance.  The 
Christians  have  accepted  the  responsibility 
and  all  the  churches  have  appointed  com- 
mittees who  meet  each  morning  at  the 
Association  building,  divide  into  groups  of 
two  or  three,  and  go  out  on  their  work  of 
mercy.  They  report  upon  each  family  who 
was  burned  out,  their  condition,  and  wTiat 
form  of  relief  should  be  given  and  then 
give  them  a card  which  will  entitle  them 
to  go  to  the  local  office  and  receive  the 
necessary  aid.  It  vdll  require  a good  deal 
of  time,  which  the  Christians  are  gladly 
giving,  but  it  means  a lot  to  be  known  as 
a body  that  can  be  looked  to  and  trusted  in 
such  a time  of  distress,  and  for  the  per- 
formance of  such  an  important  and  Christ- 
like  work. 

Last  year  the  Emperor  of  Japan  gave  one 
million  and  a half  yen  for  the  poor.  This 
money  was  spent  in  alleviating  the  suffer- 
ings of  the  sick,  especially  providing  medi- 
cal attendance  for  thousands  who  were  not 
able  to  pay  for  that  boon.  The  Cabinet 
proposed  to  the  nation  that  the  Emperor’s 
gift  should  be  made  the  nucleus  of  a much 
larger  fund  to  be  raised  for  the  endowment 
of  the  object  aimed  at  by  the  Emperor’s 
generosity.  During  the  year,  chiefly  through 
the  donations  of  wealthy  men,  but  mingled 
with  these  were  many  small  gifts  from  the 
common  people,  the  fund  has  increased  to 
the  princely  sum  of  almost  25,000,000  yen 
as  announced  at  the  close  of  the  year,  1911. 
A missionary  writes  regarding  this  remark- 
able gift: 

“This,  of  course,  was  the  work  of  unbe- 
lievers, real  heathen,  some  would  term 
them,  at  any  rate  of  non-Christian  Japa- 
nese, and  yet  many  Americans  think  this 

4 


people  are  rotten  to  the  core — ‘wounds, 
bruises  and  putrifying  sores  from  the  crown 
of  the  head  to  the  sole  of  the  foot.’  I 
think  we  are  right,  however,  in  ascribing 
such  efforts  as  these  to  the  indirect  in- 
fluence of  the  Man  of  Nazareth,  who  first 
introduced  real  charity  upon  the  earth.  His 
influence  is  leavening  the  people  of  Japan. 

One  of  our  missionaries  called  upon  a 
prominent  Buddhist  priest  in  his  vicinity, 
and  talked  freely  to  him  of  Christianity. 
After  quite  an  extended  conversation,  the 
priest  remarked  with  much  feeling  and 
earnestness — ‘Sir,  I believe  in  your  God,  the 
God  whom  you  Christians  preach,  and  I 
also  worship  Him.’  It  is  not  difficult  to 
believe  there  are  many  such  among  the 
priesthood  even,  and  tha,t  while  keeping  up 
the  forms  of  the  old  religions  for  manifest 
reasons  down  deep  in  their  hearts  they  have 
heard  the  call  of  Him  who  is  the  eternal 
light  that  lighteth  every  man.” 

The  same  missionary  relates  that  he 
called  upon  a Shinto  priest,  who  had  a 
New  Testament  which  he  brought  out  as 
they  were  talking  together.  The  missionary 
in  looking  through  it  noticed  that  every 
word  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  was 
heavily  underlined,  and  the  appearance  of 
the  pages  indicated  frequent  use.  This 
Bible  of  ours  is  found  in  the  most  unex- 
pected places,  is  influencing  all  sorts  and 
conditions  of  men  and  we  are  only  waiting 
the  day  when  these  secret  disciples  shall 
come  to  the  Light. 

Up  in  northern  Japan  the  Presbyterians 
were  dedicating  a church.  The  mayor  of 
the  city  was  invited  and  made  an  address. 
In  the  course  of  his  remarks  he  said:  “Our 
country  is  much  behind  in  spiritual  matters. 
We  need  not  only  education  but  religion 
to  form  our  national  character.  Christianity 
is  one  of  the  ^eat  reli^ons  of  the  world, 
and  one  that  is  accomplishing  much.”  Not 

5 


being:  himself  a Christian,  he  did  not  know 
its  teachings  fully,  but  he  had  been  much 
impressed  by  the  power  of  the  Cross.  IN 
HOC  SIGNO  VINCIMUS. 

The  recent  fire  at  Osaka  burnt  out  a 
large  section  of  one  of  the  prostitute 
quarters.  The  Woman’s  Christian  Temper- 
ance Union,  which  has  a strong  branch 
here,  at  once  seized  upon  this  as  an  op- 
portunity to  wipe  this  evil  out  of  ex- 
istence, and  called  a great  mass  meeting  to 
stir  up  the  fires  of  opposition  to  granting 
them  permission  to  * rebuild.  The  best 
speakers  were  put  upon  the  platform  before 
a huge  audience  of  5,000  people,  and  a half 
dozen  or  more  burning  addresses  were  made 
by  prominent  Christian  men,  including  a 
member  of  parliament,  a newspaper  editor, 
a lawyer  and  a Salvation  Army  Colonel. 
Also  two  ladies  spoke,  one  being  Mrs. 
Yajuma,  Principal  of  our  Joshi  Gakuin, 
who  came  from  Tokyo  for  the  purpose. 
Following  these  a vote  was  taken  calling 
upon  the  Governor  and  Mayor  to  refuse  to 
license,  which  must  now  be  asked  for  again. 
At  the  time  of  the  former  fire  another  of 
these  quarters  was  burnt  out,  and  the 
women  took  the  matter  up  in  a similar  way 
and  succeeded  in  abolishing  the  business 
and  doubtless  they  will  succeed  in  this  also. 
Intelligent  men  and  women,  even  though  not 
Christian,  know  the  evil  of  this  business, 
and  its  hurtful  influence  upon  society,  but 
they  have  not  the  initiative  or  courage  to 
undertake  a campaign.  But  when  the  Chris- 
tians start  it,  they  are  very  willing  to  give 
it  their  endorsement.  The  newspapers  are 
all  on  the  side  of  the  Christians  in  this 
movement,  and  are  joining  in  dealing  sledge 
hammer  blows  at  the  head  of  Satan,  which 
we  hope  will  be  crushed  under  the  heel  of 
Him  whose  is  the  promise.  This  is  one  of 
the  forces  that  is  at  work  for  the  re-crea- 
tion of  Japan. 


6 


In  order  to  set  clearly  before  the  friends 
of  Missions  all  the  forces  at  work  in  Japan, 
we  give  a quotation  from  a Tokyo  news- 
paper of  January  23rd,  1912.  It  is  as 
follows : 

Rat  Worship 

“Since  the  outbreak  of  the  first  case  of 
plague  in  Tokyo  in  December,  1902,  the 
number  of  rats  which  have  been  purchased 
at  the  Metropolitan  Police  Board  for  the 
purpose  of  preventing  the  spread  of  the 
infection  has  reached  fifteen  million.  The 
Board  will  conduct  service  for  the  spirits 
of  the  rats  at  Takiwaden,  a restaurant  at 
Uyeno  Park  at  five  o’clock  this  afternoon 
since  the  rat  is  the  symbol  for  the  current 
year.”  Notice  that  it  says,  “the  Board  will 
conduct”  and  “the  spirits  of  the  rats.” 
Transmigration!  Ancestor  worship!  And 
in  high  places!* 

Spirit  Worship 

Another  example.  A few  days  ago  while 
alighting  from  a finely  upholstered  and 
equipped  electric  street  car,  passing  in 
front  of  a large  temple  in  Tokyo,  we  saw  a 
man  and  woman  ride  up  in  a new  auto, 
enter  the  temple  yard  and  proceed  to  the 
special  shrine  where  the  spirits  of  soldiers 
killed  in  battle  are  worshipped.  They  made 
deep  obeisance,  gave  money  to  the  treasury, 
prayed  a long  time  and  departed  in  their 
modem  machine. 

In  the  same  city  where  the  rats  are  wor- 
shipped, and  men  and  women  ride  in  new 
auto  cars  from  worship  to  the  spirits  of 
those  fallen  in  battle,  is  a great  Girls’ 
school,  the  Joshi  Gakuin.  The  forces  at 
work  there  we  believe  are  helping  mightily 
to  change  the  lives  of  thousands  of  Japa- 
nese. We  are  indebted  to  Miss  Isabelle  Mae 


•The  picture  on  the  cover  shows  where  the  service 
was  held. 


7 


Ward,  a teacher  in  the  school,  for  giving 
us  one  of  the  signs  of  the  times  in  the  new 
Japan : 

“The  work  in  and  connected  with  our 
school  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  girls  con- 
sists for  the  missionary  teachers  of  class 
room  teaching  in  English  from  the  “a-b’s” 
of  the  entering  class  through  eight  classes 
to  the  Bible,  Literature,  Church  History 
and  Christian  Evidences  of  the  Senior 
class.  Our  school  has  a thorough  course 
in  Japanese  subjects  taught  by  Japanese 
teachers.  Over  ninety  of  the  ^rls  take 
piano  or  organ  lessons  each  we^  and  all 
study  singing.  The  relatives  and  friends 
of  the  girls  must  be  welcomed  and  enter- 
tained when  they  come  to  visit  or  to  inquire, 
homes  must  be  visited  (and  here  just  at 
present  we  feel  our  greatest  need  of  help 
for  we  have  time  and  strength  to  visit  only 
a small  part  of  the  homes  open  to  us  and 
where  Christian  work  might  be  done  with 
great  directness),  prayer  meetings  for  the 
girls  and  for  their  sisters,  mothers  and 
cousins  must  be  planned  for  and  attended. 
The  girls  of  the  upper  classes  who  teach 
in  sixteen  Sunday  Schools  in  various  parts 
of  the  city  must  be  helped  and  advised,  and 
those  Sunday  Schools  visited  and  helped  in 
some  cases.  Christmas,  commencement, 
various  literary  and  other  entertainments 
must  be  provided  for  during  the  vear,  and 
many  other  things  done  to  make  our  school 
so  attractive  that  it  will  draw  the  best  girls. 

Not  quite  half  of  the  girls  live  in  the 
dormitories,  and  the  missionaries  responsi- 
ble for  them  must  be  mother,  nurse,  adviser 
and  friend.  The  buildings  must  be  looked 
after  and  kept  in  repair  in  all  details,  and 
this  requires  much  time  and  patience  in  a 
country  where  machines  and  tools  are  still 
BO  simple  that  what  could  easily  be  done  by 
one  man  in  a day  in  America  often  requires 
a week  of  pottering  by  several  workmen 

8 


here.  A door  needed?  The  carpenter  is 
called  and  in  a few  days  comes  to  see  what 
is  wanted.  To-morrow  he  sends  a workman 
to  measure.  A few  days  later  number  three 
comes  and  puts  in  the  frame,  nails  a few 
boards  over  the  opening  at  night  and  goes 
home  well  satisfied  with  his  job.  Next  week 
numbers  four  and  five  come  and  get  ready 
for  hinges  and  locks.  Two  days  later  the 
door  is  hung  on  trial.  Next  day  it  is 
remedied  and  really  hung.  Sunday  inter- 
venes as  the  missionary  refuses  to  have 
workmen  around  that  day.  Monday  knobs 
are  put  on,  Tuesday  is  one  of  the  many 
national  holidays,  Wednesday  the  door  is 
painted.  All  done?  No,  indeed — another 
week  for  mending  the  plaster,  fixing  the 
lock  so  it  will  really  lock  and  stopping  up 
the  crack  or  half  an  inch  left  at  the  bottom 
of  the  door  in  the  fitting,  and  then — all 
will  be  well  till  next  winter  when  the  whole 
thing  will  have  shrunk  enough  probably  to 
put  a good  half-inch  of  new  board  all 
around  and  a pound  or  so  of  putty  into  the 
cracks  of  the  panels  and  a block  under  the 
lock  to  make  the  catch  catch.  Once  a lady 
said  to  a workman,  “Carpenter  San,  Isn’t 
that  green  wood  which  you  are  using?”  The 
reply:  “Yes,  Teacher,  this  is  perfectly  green 
wood.”  Then  great  surprise  that  all  was 
not  well. 

We  have  ten  graduating  from  the  higher 
department  of  our  school  this  spring,  and 
all  but  one  have  been  baptized.  That  one 
seems  very  near  indeed  to  making  a pro- 
fession of  her  faith  in  Christ,  for  she  often 
leads  in  prayer  and  is  a faithful  Bible 
student.  A few  more  than  one-third  of  the 
girls  in  school  are  church  members,  the 
proportion  increasing  among  the  higher 
classes  as  very  few  in  the  entering  class 
each  year  come  as  Christians.  It  is  beauti- 
ful to  watch  the  girls  develop  and  their 
lives  broaden,  even  their  bodies  losing  the 

9 


stooped  shoulders,  narrow  chest  and  con- 
tinual subservient  bending  which  mark  the 
old  idea  of  beauty  in  women;  but  best  of 
all  is  to  see  the  conduct  change,  the  formal 
politeness  not  giving  place  to  but  being 
fulfilled  by  really  loving  relations  with 
their  companions  and  the  Christ  Spirit  tak- 
ing charge  in  the  life  of  one  then  another 
during  the  year.  In  a visit  to  a non-Chris- 
tian school  a short  time  ago  I could  not 
help  comparing  the  faces  there  with  those 
of  “our  girls”  and  noting  the  absence  of 
something  which  at  the  time  I could  not 
define.  Scholarship  was  just  as  good,  de- 
sire for  excellence  just  as  great,  but  the 
bright,  sweet  trustfulness  of  our  girls  was 
not  there.  This  shows  more  plainly,  per- 
haps, among  a people  most  of  whom  still 
have  no  heart  knowledge  of  our  Savior. 

A Visit  to  a Home 

A pupil  longs  to  have  her  mother  and 
teacher  meet  or  the  teacher  asks  to  call. 
Permission  is  obtained  and  “teacher”  is 
invited  for  an  afternoon.  The  mother  at 
first  is  filled  with  apprehension  as  to  how 
to  treat  that  unknown  quantity,  the  queer 
foreigner,  so  as  not  to  offend  and  yet  not 
be  persuaded  to  listen  to  any  doctrine  not 
inherited  from  her  ancestors.  The  teacher 
gets  over  the  necessary  stiff  social  part  of 
the  visit  as  best  she  can  with  all  its  bows, 
apologies  and  forms,  shows  interest  in  giv- 
ing a good  report  of  the  daughter  in  school, 
asks  about  the  other  children  in  the  family, 
drinks  several  cups  of  tea,  eats  the  cakes, 
all  in  her  most  friendly  way,  plays  a little 
rabbit  or  mouse  handkerchief  game  with 
tiny  sister,  and  the  mother  sees  the  wall 
of  differences  disappearing  and  realizes  that 
her  guest  is  only  a friendly  woman  after 
all  and  melts  to  the  longing  for  friendship. 
Then  some  good  little  seed  may  be  quietly 
dropped.  An  invitation  is  given  to  repeat 

10 


the  call  and  the  mother  is  urged  to  come  to 
see  us  and  to  attend  some  of  our  meetings. 
She  is  shy  and  hesitates  to  take  a step  so 
entirely  new  and  liable  to  be  criticized  or 
laughed  at  by  her  friends.  After  several 
calls  she  comes  and  then  the  real  oppor- 
tunity comes,  or  rather  begins.  She  cannot 
be  preached  to  and  then  left  to  herself. 
Her  old  customs  and  forms  of  worship  and 
friends  would  crowd  in  and  choke  the  little 
seed  for  it  was  sown  on  untilled  ground. 
She  must  be  visited  and  invited  and  en- 
couraged and  led  on  again  and  again.  The 
little  seed  needs  careful  cultivation,  and 
unless  watched,  may  be  blown  away,  or 
overgrown  even  after  starting  into  life. 
Yes,  it  is  work,  continual  and  diplomatic, 
but  it  pays  and  gives  more  of  real  love  and 
joy  than  any  other.  The  little  ones  in  that 
home  finally  come  to  Sunday  School  with 
some  curiosity  at  first  and  then  with  de- 
light, big  sister  in  our  school  is  allowed  to 
be  baptized  though  she  had  been  refused 
permission  by  her  parents  for  a long  time. 
The  mother  sees  the  changed  daughter  and 
herself  wants  the  good  influence  which 
made  that  change,  may  get  her  husband 
interested  enough  to  allow  a prayer  meeting 
to  be  held  in  their  home  and  at  last  himself 
attend  church.  Five  years  later  it  is  a 
Christian  home.  It  took  time  and  was  worth 
it.  Such  calls  in  a hundred  homes  after 
four  or  five  hours  in  the  school  room,  look- 
ing after  dormitories,  our  own  housekeeping 
and  other  routine  work,  make  full  days, 
and,  oh!  the  number  we  cannot  go  to!” 


11 


THE  WILLIAM  DARLING  PRESS,  NEW  YORK 


Board  of  Foreign  Missions 
of  the 

Presbyterian  Church  in  the  U.  S.  A. 
156  Fifth  Ave.,  New  York 


March,  1912 


1T43 


